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On Concrit and Feedback and Mary Sues...
I'm supposed to be working on my fics, but I've been seeing a lot of controversy on
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metafandom about concrit lately, and I got the urge to write some meta. One camp, dubbed "the Cult of Nice," feels that it's rude to offer unsolicited concrit, and people should refrain from doing so unless invited because fanfic authors are writing merely as a hobby, not a profession, and it might hurt their feelings. On the other hand, the pro-concrit crowd ("the Cult of Mean") argues that if someone posts in a public forum such as LJ (without friends-locking it), they have to understand that strangers might wander in and comment on their stories. And they also argue that they're not trying to be mean or getting any sadistic glee out of hurting a writer's tender feelings, but they just want to offer advice to the writers to help them improve.All well and good, says the Cult of Nice, but have you ever thought that maybe they don't want to improve, and are happy just doing what they're doing? They also add that some writers don't want concrit on a finished story because they don't intend to rewrite it, so they see any criticism as pointless. And apparently there's been additional wank because some people have been taking Nice-ness to an extreme, and argue that it's rude to say anything negative about a fic, even if you're writing a review on your personal journal and not on the writer's original post.
At which point I offered up a fervent prayer of gratitude that the fandoms I'm involved in, Snupin and Petshop of Horrors, are amazingly friendly, supportive, and wank-free. There have been a few kerfuffles in the distant past on the Petshop Yahoo Groups, but they were thankfully few and far between, and I haven't seen any unpleasantness in recent years. And I have never, ever been flamed or encountered a troll on lupin_snape; in fact, everyone I've met in that community has been wonderfully friendly and welcoming. I'm not sure if that's because we attract a higher caliber of fan ^_^, and/or because Petshop and Snupin are relatively small fandoms, compared to the more general anime and HP fandoms, so we're a little more close and family-like. Either way, I'm so happy to be a part of these communities! *passes out hugs all around*
So anyway, my own views on concrit are: as a writer myself, I understand how difficult it can be to see someone criticize your baby, but if you're putting it up in public, especially in a fic community or archive, you have to take the risk of having someone comment on it with something other than unadulterated squee. A reasonable compromise, suggested on many of the Metafandom essays, is for the writer to explicitly state that they do not want concrit, or want only positive feedback. I suspect that many writers are loathe to do that because they don't want people to think that they just want their egos stroked. However, from time to time I see an author's note along the lines of, "This is my first fic, so please be kind with your feedback," and I think that's perfectly fine--it is really scary putting your work out there for everyone to see for the first time! And regardless of whether the author is an experienced writer or not, it's not my place to judge their motives, and I see nothing wrong with stating your preference--"Squee only please!" or "The concrit, bring it on!"
And you know, it really annoys me when I see posts and threads on LJ or the Fiction Alley Forums (where I occasionally lurk, though I'm not a member), bemoaning the lack of good feedback, right next to posts and threads where people are bitching about the type of feedback they get--whether too short, too critical, or not critical enough. Sadly, I think this is why some readers are a little leery of leaving feedback.
I'm generally hesitant to offer unsolicited concrit myself, especially if I don't know the writer, because I don't want to offend anyone or hurt their feelings. I would never offer a detailed point-by-point critique to a stranger, but I might gently point out a typo, or say something like, "I'm a little confused about what was happening in this scene," sandwiched between some praise. And I always point out the things that I liked about a fic, because I want the author to know what they're doing right. I wouldn't bother to give feedback on a fic that I don't like, because it seems awfully rude to me--not to mention a waste of my time--to tell the author how much I hated their fic. And generally, if I don't like a fic, it often has nothing to do with the writer's talent, anyway--it's usually a squick, such as non-con or character death, and I don't see the point of criticizing an author for not writing a story to my own personal tastes.
Btw, if you're reading this and I haven't commented on one of your fics, please don't think that I hated it! I might not have had time to read it, or I am sometimes bad about leaving feedback even for fics that I like. It's partly laziness (bad geri_chan!) and partly because I'm a bit of an overachiever. Unless it's for a drabble, I feel bad about leaving short comments like "Great fic!" or "Loved it!" and I usually try to come up with a more detailed comment specifically stating what I loved about the fic, but that takes time and effort, and sometimes I'm too tired to write something at that moment and think, "Oh, I'll go back and comment on it later." And then, well...you know how the whole procrastination thing goes. But since I appreciate feedback on my fics, I'm trying to make an effort to be better about commenting on other people's fics.
However, don't feel guilty if you leave feedback for me like "Great fic!" or even if you don't comment at all, or comment only occasionally. I'm happy just to know that someone's reading my stories. I used to get a little worried at times when I didn't get any comments on a chapter, but then I'd get an e-mail or comment every so often that would say, "I'm really bad about leaving feedback, but I just want you to know that I love the story and I look forward to every chapter," and that made me feel a lot better, because I knew that even if there were no or few comments, someone was still reading it.
I don't think that I or anyone else is owed feedback, though. I know some writers get discouraged when they don't get any, but I feel that I'm writing the story for myself, and if other people like it, that's just icing on the cake. Actually, here's a response I made to a post I found on Metafandom (about whether a writer should reply to feedback) that sums my feelings up:
When I first started reading fanfiction, I thought of a story as a gift that the writer had given to me--well, not me personally, obviously! ;) But something that the writer had put a lot of work into and created for the enjoyment of the readers. So I when I comment on someone's fic, I think of it as a thank-you note from me, and I don't expect to get a "thank you" for my own thank you. If a writer does respond to my feedback, I'm thrilled, but I don't feel like they owe me anything.
So when I started writing fic of my own, I usually didn't bother to reply to comments at first, unless they asked a question. But gradually it dawned on me that most writers did reply to feedback, and I started thinking that this must be a fanfic etiquette thing, and people might think I'm being rude if I don't reply.
Most of my stories only get a few comments, so it's no strain for me to reply to each one, and I don't mind doing so. And once I started writing, I came to appreciate how good it feels to hear someone say that they like my fic, so now it feels natural to thank them for taking the time to leave feedback.
But I'm still not offended as a reader if a writer doesn't respond to my comments. And as a writer, I don't think that my readers owe me comments, either. I'm writing because there's a story in my head that I want to tell, and I would still be writing it even if no one but me was reading it. But it makes me very happy when someone comments on my stories or replies to my comments--I see it as icing on the cake. But plain cake is still just fine with me. ;)
I'll admit to the occasional moment of insecurity when no one's commented on a story (as mentioned above), but eventually I'll get some perspective and be okay with it. Hell, I have a host of stories in my head that one's ever seen yet because I haven't had time to write them down, but I still love them.
Actually, I've noticed that my short stand-alone stories do generate a fair amount of comments, so I can't complain. It's usually the long epics like Scars in my Always series that don't always get a lot of feedback, and that's cool. I know that my regular readers are following it faithfully but might not have time to comment on every chapter, and new readers might hesitate to jump into the middle of an ongoing series. I'm very happy with the amount of feedback that I get, and I'm pleased that so many people liked Scars, considering how much of the focus was on an OC.
And I can understand part of the Cult of Nice argument, because I know that when I first started posting my Snupin fics on the snape_n_lupin Yahoo Group, I'd regard each new comment that appeared with mingled anticipation and terror--simultaneously thrilled to get feedback and terrified that the person would be saying that they hate it. I don't know why I was so worried, because I'd never seen anyone on the group behaving rudely, but it was like stagefright jitters, I suppose. I was especially worried when I started introducing OCs in the stories, and was very relieved when the response was positive. I do recall that even after I'd been writing for awhile, a new reader came onto the group and announced that the Always series should be banned, and I nearly had a heart attack! Then I read a bit further and realized that she was paying me a joking compliment by saying that she couldn't get any of her work done because she'd gotten hooked on my stories and was spending all her time reading them! ^_^
Strangely, I wasn't nearly so nervous about writing my Petshop fics, probably because I started off circulating them by e-mail among a small group of Petshop readers and writers when the fandom was new and relatively small, so it was more like a circle of friends exchanging stories. One of my friends in that group gave me excellent concrit that made me a much better writer: she was ruthless about pointing out flaws like OOC-ness and awkward or redundant phrases, but not in a mean way, and she always told me what worked, too. I ended up rewriting a couple of my stories following her suggestions and she said, "Hey, you know this is just my opinion, and you don't have to listen to me if you don't want to, right?" But her advice was always so spot-on that I usually ended up following it. I won't say that it was easy having my stories picked apart, but I knew that it was done out of friendship and a desire to help rather than malice, so my tender ego could take it. ;)
It's a little harder to be criticized by a stranger, but I try to consider concrit a compliment. When I was posting Aftermaths on Ink Stained Fingers, a new reader left me a very long and detailed review that was slightly on the harsh side, and I wasn't quite sure how to take it at first. But I took a deep breath, read it over carefully, and noticed that the reviewer also listed the things that he or she (I'm assuming it was probably a "she") liked along with the criticisms. And I decided that writing this review probably took a lot of thought and a good chunk of time, and she wouldn't have wasted her time on a fic that she didn't care about, so I decided to take it as a great compliment. I thought she had a point about some things, like Snape being softer than he was in canon (although she admitted that she hadn't read the earlier fics in the series, which would account for the shift in character), the kids acting younger than their actual years at times (which was something I was a little worried about myself), and the fact that I had introduced so many OCs rather than exploring canon characters in more depth. Some were personal preference--the reviewer felt that Harry's romance with Ginny felt forced, and she would have preferred to see a Harry/Draco ship. (Although if I didn't carry out the Harry/Ginny thing convincingly, that is my flaw as an author.) So I thanked her for her feedback, acknowledged the criticisms I agreed with, but did say that I intended to keep the OCs and the Harry/Ginny ship. I can understand the desire to explore canon further, but playing with OC characters gives me more freedom and makes writing more fun for me, so I stick with them even though I know that some people refuse to read stories where OCs are main characters. I think she was a bit disppointed by my response, and I'm not sure if she kept reading, but the exchange was civil, and I didn't think that she was out to be mean or crush my soul as a writer.
Actually, my Snupin feedback has been almost entirely positive other than that, but there was one faithful reader who always commented on every chapter with praise except for the one chapter in Aftermaths that focused on Neville's parents going back to work at the Ministry and visiting him at Hogwarts. The reader confessed that she found it a little boring even though it was probably necessary exposition for future chapters, and hoped that things would pick up in the next chapter. I wasn't offended at all, because I knew how much she loved the previous chapters, and I was glad that she felt she could be honest with me and point that out. I actually had thought that the chapter was a little too slow-paced, so my own suspicions were confirmed. I didn't rewrite the scene, but I kept her advice in mind for future chapters. Which is why I don't agree with the argument that concrit on a finished story is useless. I might not go and rewrite that particular chapter or story, but it may affect how I write stories in the future, and advice about pacing and characterization are things that can be applied to fic in general.
The only comment I've ever had that was close to rude was when someone e-mailed in response to The Revenant and said something like, "Hey, don't be offended but I'm honestly curious--do you really see Remus as being that silly?" And I scratched my head and thought, "Hmm, I'm not sure whether to be offended or not, but okay, I'll take you at your word." Whether the person was being sincere or not, it was helpful because it made me think about Lupin's character and how I chose to portray him, and in what ways that portrayal differed from canon. And yeah, I do think in hindsight that maybe Lupin got a little hysterical in that story at times, when Theo and Snape were in danger, a little more than I would usually write him. I did send the person a detailed response and never heard back from them, but it was a good exercise in character analysis.
So yeah--concrit makes me cringe as an initial knee-jerk reaction, but I do appreciate it and accept it as a compliment. As Marion Zimmer Bradley used to say, if you're going to write, you need to have a thick skin. I also try to assume that the reviewer's intentions are good until proven otherwise--obviously someone who says "this story sucks" is just being a troll, but in general, I feel that if someone took the time to write you feedback, that shows that they cared about your story. The criticism might or might not be helpful, but it's the writer's prerogative to follow or ignore it as they choose.
Actually, I've noticed that my short stand-alone stories do generate a fair amount of comments, so I can't complain. It's usually the long epics like Scars in my Always series that don't always get a lot of feedback, and that's cool. I know that my regular readers are following it faithfully but might not have time to comment on every chapter, and new readers might hesitate to jump into the middle of an ongoing series. I'm very happy with the amount of feedback that I get, and I'm pleased that so many people liked Scars, considering how much of the focus was on an OC.
And I can understand part of the Cult of Nice argument, because I know that when I first started posting my Snupin fics on the snape_n_lupin Yahoo Group, I'd regard each new comment that appeared with mingled anticipation and terror--simultaneously thrilled to get feedback and terrified that the person would be saying that they hate it. I don't know why I was so worried, because I'd never seen anyone on the group behaving rudely, but it was like stagefright jitters, I suppose. I was especially worried when I started introducing OCs in the stories, and was very relieved when the response was positive. I do recall that even after I'd been writing for awhile, a new reader came onto the group and announced that the Always series should be banned, and I nearly had a heart attack! Then I read a bit further and realized that she was paying me a joking compliment by saying that she couldn't get any of her work done because she'd gotten hooked on my stories and was spending all her time reading them! ^_^
Strangely, I wasn't nearly so nervous about writing my Petshop fics, probably because I started off circulating them by e-mail among a small group of Petshop readers and writers when the fandom was new and relatively small, so it was more like a circle of friends exchanging stories. One of my friends in that group gave me excellent concrit that made me a much better writer: she was ruthless about pointing out flaws like OOC-ness and awkward or redundant phrases, but not in a mean way, and she always told me what worked, too. I ended up rewriting a couple of my stories following her suggestions and she said, "Hey, you know this is just my opinion, and you don't have to listen to me if you don't want to, right?" But her advice was always so spot-on that I usually ended up following it. I won't say that it was easy having my stories picked apart, but I knew that it was done out of friendship and a desire to help rather than malice, so my tender ego could take it. ;)
It's a little harder to be criticized by a stranger, but I try to consider concrit a compliment. When I was posting Aftermaths on Ink Stained Fingers, a new reader left me a very long and detailed review that was slightly on the harsh side, and I wasn't quite sure how to take it at first. But I took a deep breath, read it over carefully, and noticed that the reviewer also listed the things that he or she (I'm assuming it was probably a "she") liked along with the criticisms. And I decided that writing this review probably took a lot of thought and a good chunk of time, and she wouldn't have wasted her time on a fic that she didn't care about, so I decided to take it as a great compliment. I thought she had a point about some things, like Snape being softer than he was in canon (although she admitted that she hadn't read the earlier fics in the series, which would account for the shift in character), the kids acting younger than their actual years at times (which was something I was a little worried about myself), and the fact that I had introduced so many OCs rather than exploring canon characters in more depth. Some were personal preference--the reviewer felt that Harry's romance with Ginny felt forced, and she would have preferred to see a Harry/Draco ship. (Although if I didn't carry out the Harry/Ginny thing convincingly, that is my flaw as an author.) So I thanked her for her feedback, acknowledged the criticisms I agreed with, but did say that I intended to keep the OCs and the Harry/Ginny ship. I can understand the desire to explore canon further, but playing with OC characters gives me more freedom and makes writing more fun for me, so I stick with them even though I know that some people refuse to read stories where OCs are main characters. I think she was a bit disppointed by my response, and I'm not sure if she kept reading, but the exchange was civil, and I didn't think that she was out to be mean or crush my soul as a writer.
Actually, my Snupin feedback has been almost entirely positive other than that, but there was one faithful reader who always commented on every chapter with praise except for the one chapter in Aftermaths that focused on Neville's parents going back to work at the Ministry and visiting him at Hogwarts. The reader confessed that she found it a little boring even though it was probably necessary exposition for future chapters, and hoped that things would pick up in the next chapter. I wasn't offended at all, because I knew how much she loved the previous chapters, and I was glad that she felt she could be honest with me and point that out. I actually had thought that the chapter was a little too slow-paced, so my own suspicions were confirmed. I didn't rewrite the scene, but I kept her advice in mind for future chapters. Which is why I don't agree with the argument that concrit on a finished story is useless. I might not go and rewrite that particular chapter or story, but it may affect how I write stories in the future, and advice about pacing and characterization are things that can be applied to fic in general.
The only comment I've ever had that was close to rude was when someone e-mailed in response to The Revenant and said something like, "Hey, don't be offended but I'm honestly curious--do you really see Remus as being that silly?" And I scratched my head and thought, "Hmm, I'm not sure whether to be offended or not, but okay, I'll take you at your word." Whether the person was being sincere or not, it was helpful because it made me think about Lupin's character and how I chose to portray him, and in what ways that portrayal differed from canon. And yeah, I do think in hindsight that maybe Lupin got a little hysterical in that story at times, when Theo and Snape were in danger, a little more than I would usually write him. I did send the person a detailed response and never heard back from them, but it was a good exercise in character analysis.
So yeah--concrit makes me cringe as an initial knee-jerk reaction, but I do appreciate it and accept it as a compliment. As Marion Zimmer Bradley used to say, if you're going to write, you need to have a thick skin. I also try to assume that the reviewer's intentions are good until proven otherwise--obviously someone who says "this story sucks" is just being a troll, but in general, I feel that if someone took the time to write you feedback, that shows that they cared about your story. The criticism might or might not be helpful, but it's the writer's prerogative to follow or ignore it as they choose.
***
So after defending concrit, I'm going to make a U-turn and say that criticism can go too far at times. Well, not so much criticism per se, but the idea that there are "rules" in fandom about what makes a good fic that can be too restrictive at times.
This started as a conversation on this essay about literary snobbery that I came across in the Metafandom comments awhile back. As I told the OP, I'd actually been thinking along similar lines after hanging out on the Fiction Alley writers' forums and seeing all these threads on how to avoid writing the dreaded Mary Sue, and writers putting up character profiles and asking for feedback on whether their characters are Mary Sues.
Now, if someone is wants to improve their writing and wants help on how to avoid a Mary Sue, I think that's great! But what worries me is that HP fandom (and I assume other fandoms probably do as well) have rather rigid rules about what makes a Mary Sue. As I told the OP in the above essay: According to these informal rules, original characters should not be excessively beautiful or handsome; should not have special magical abilities; should not be a love interest for one of the main canon characters; and most definitely should not be a transfer student (because there are no transfer students in HP canon). It's assumed that if your OC matches these criteria, he or she is a Gary Stu/Mary Sue.
But man, take a look at my Always series OCs: Branwen is beautiful, has special magical powers (she's part demon and skilled in summoning Elementals, a type of magic not mentioned in the books), and she's a love interest for Sirius. And of course Aric is a transfer student, and Dylan is a transfer student of sorts, entering Hogwarts as a third-year after being schooled at home because his mother was in unofficial exile for associating with the Death Eaters. And of course Dylan on the surface appears to be a Gary Stu: he's incredibly handsome and charming and smart, excels in his studies, becomes Snape's favorite student, and becomes a love interest for Hermione.
Of course the thing about Dylan is that his apparent perfection is a carefully cultivated act, designed to hide his Death Eater ambitions. The Hermione thing I knew might be a bit controversial, but I loved the idea of a budding Death Eater falling in love with a Muggle-born and having to question the beliefs he grew up with.
So anyway, as I told the OP: By the forum criteria, these should be Mary Sue/Gary Stus, but I tried to make them complex characters, and my readers tell me that they love the OCs and find them as vividly portrayed as the canon characters. Now it could be that my readers and I are all as deluded as the Legolas unicorn girls, but the point I want to make is that I probably would have been too terrified to write these stories if I had come across the forum when I first started writing. Fortunately for me, I was relatively new to the fandom and in blissful ignorance of what the "rules" were, so I just wrote how I pleased, and was lucky enough to find some readers who liked what I wrote.
So my point is not "Hey, everybody go write Mary Sues," but that these "rules" can be limiting, and that we shouldn't be afraid of breaking them at times. I really am very grateful that I didn't have too many preconceived notions when I first came to fanfic, or who knows, Branwen and Dylan might not exist!
Another semi-rule I seem to have broken is the quoting song lyrics thing, which I did heavily in Always and Scars. It doesn't seem to be as hard and fast a rule as the Mary Sue thing, but I have noticed that some people see it as a sign of bad fic. I was browsing another writer's website awhile back, and was pleasantly surprised to see that they'd recced Always, but they added a caveat along the lines of, "Contains song lyrics, but don't let that scare you away; it's a great story." I wasn't offended, and I was still very happy that they thought it was a great story, but I was like, "Gee, I didn't know using song lyrics as a chapter heading was a bad thing." I took it under advisement that it might scare some readers off, but I still went ahead and used song lyrics in Scars, just because those two songs ("Scars" and "Animal I Have Become") fit the story so perfectly.
Addressing the other part of the literary snobbery essay, I do see some fans (not in Snupin, but in general HP fandom) who take it upon themselves to lecture and sometimes go to the extreme of attacking writers who write Mary Sues and extremely OOC fics (you know, emo Harry in leather pants and whatnot). It's one thing if the writer asks for help, or even if you offer a bit of well-meant unsolicited advice. But once the writer makes it clear that they don't want your advice and that they're happy with their stories as is, it's time to back off, no matter how bad you think the fic is, or even if you think it's a halfway decent fic that could be rescued with a bit of help.
Once again, as I responded to the essay: Now, the FA forum crowd is much more polite than the flamers you've encountered, and I think they sincerely want to help their fellow writers, but they also seem to have the mentality that they're trying to prevent bad fic from being written. And I've been wondering, what's so bad about writing a Mary Sue if that's what you enjoy? I wouldn't want to read it, but if it gives the author and her readers pleasure, why not? Nobody is forcing me to read it, and even the worst Mary Sue author always seems to find at least a few like-minded fans, which means that somebody is enjoying it. At the worst, she's having a little harmless fun with a hobby that she'll eventually outgrow, and at best, she'll learn and mature with experience and become a better writer. I know that the stuff I wrote when I was 12 or 13 was probably crap by my standards today, but that's all part of the process of learning how to write--I don't think that anybody is a great writer right from the start.
Actually, I have seen a bit more rudeness on FA lately than I had at the time I wrote my original response--people who seem morally offended by bad fic. And from their descriptions, the stories probably were pretty bad, but so what? If it's that bad, why waste your time reading it and berating the author? I only have so much time in my schedule, and personally, I'd rather spend it reading good fic or working on my own stories.
I kind of think that probably everyone starts off going through a Mary Sue phase. I used to love detective stories as a kid, stuff like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, and I'd imagine myself going on adventures with them and solving mysteries alongside them, although I feel a bit sheepish about admitting to that now. ^_^ So I didn't know it at the time, but I was creating a Mary Sue! I outgrew that stage, as most writers do, but some people are content to just write Mary Sues, and if that makes them happy, I think there's enough room in the world for all kinds of fic, from stuff that's as good as published books down to the Mary Sue stories about Harry and that blonde American transfer student. (Although it would probably be wise for the Mary Sue authors to put up the stipulation of "Squee only, please!")
So in conclusion, I seem to have been arguing both sides of the debate! But really, I can see merit in both sides. I think the problem arises when people on whichever side of the battle dig in their heels and say "my way is the only right way". For myself, I'm open to both squees and concrit, and I appreciate any type of feedback other than a flame.
Now, if someone is wants to improve their writing and wants help on how to avoid a Mary Sue, I think that's great! But what worries me is that HP fandom (and I assume other fandoms probably do as well) have rather rigid rules about what makes a Mary Sue. As I told the OP in the above essay: According to these informal rules, original characters should not be excessively beautiful or handsome; should not have special magical abilities; should not be a love interest for one of the main canon characters; and most definitely should not be a transfer student (because there are no transfer students in HP canon). It's assumed that if your OC matches these criteria, he or she is a Gary Stu/Mary Sue.
But man, take a look at my Always series OCs: Branwen is beautiful, has special magical powers (she's part demon and skilled in summoning Elementals, a type of magic not mentioned in the books), and she's a love interest for Sirius. And of course Aric is a transfer student, and Dylan is a transfer student of sorts, entering Hogwarts as a third-year after being schooled at home because his mother was in unofficial exile for associating with the Death Eaters. And of course Dylan on the surface appears to be a Gary Stu: he's incredibly handsome and charming and smart, excels in his studies, becomes Snape's favorite student, and becomes a love interest for Hermione.
Of course the thing about Dylan is that his apparent perfection is a carefully cultivated act, designed to hide his Death Eater ambitions. The Hermione thing I knew might be a bit controversial, but I loved the idea of a budding Death Eater falling in love with a Muggle-born and having to question the beliefs he grew up with.
So anyway, as I told the OP: By the forum criteria, these should be Mary Sue/Gary Stus, but I tried to make them complex characters, and my readers tell me that they love the OCs and find them as vividly portrayed as the canon characters. Now it could be that my readers and I are all as deluded as the Legolas unicorn girls, but the point I want to make is that I probably would have been too terrified to write these stories if I had come across the forum when I first started writing. Fortunately for me, I was relatively new to the fandom and in blissful ignorance of what the "rules" were, so I just wrote how I pleased, and was lucky enough to find some readers who liked what I wrote.
So my point is not "Hey, everybody go write Mary Sues," but that these "rules" can be limiting, and that we shouldn't be afraid of breaking them at times. I really am very grateful that I didn't have too many preconceived notions when I first came to fanfic, or who knows, Branwen and Dylan might not exist!
Another semi-rule I seem to have broken is the quoting song lyrics thing, which I did heavily in Always and Scars. It doesn't seem to be as hard and fast a rule as the Mary Sue thing, but I have noticed that some people see it as a sign of bad fic. I was browsing another writer's website awhile back, and was pleasantly surprised to see that they'd recced Always, but they added a caveat along the lines of, "Contains song lyrics, but don't let that scare you away; it's a great story." I wasn't offended, and I was still very happy that they thought it was a great story, but I was like, "Gee, I didn't know using song lyrics as a chapter heading was a bad thing." I took it under advisement that it might scare some readers off, but I still went ahead and used song lyrics in Scars, just because those two songs ("Scars" and "Animal I Have Become") fit the story so perfectly.
Addressing the other part of the literary snobbery essay, I do see some fans (not in Snupin, but in general HP fandom) who take it upon themselves to lecture and sometimes go to the extreme of attacking writers who write Mary Sues and extremely OOC fics (you know, emo Harry in leather pants and whatnot). It's one thing if the writer asks for help, or even if you offer a bit of well-meant unsolicited advice. But once the writer makes it clear that they don't want your advice and that they're happy with their stories as is, it's time to back off, no matter how bad you think the fic is, or even if you think it's a halfway decent fic that could be rescued with a bit of help.
Once again, as I responded to the essay: Now, the FA forum crowd is much more polite than the flamers you've encountered, and I think they sincerely want to help their fellow writers, but they also seem to have the mentality that they're trying to prevent bad fic from being written. And I've been wondering, what's so bad about writing a Mary Sue if that's what you enjoy? I wouldn't want to read it, but if it gives the author and her readers pleasure, why not? Nobody is forcing me to read it, and even the worst Mary Sue author always seems to find at least a few like-minded fans, which means that somebody is enjoying it. At the worst, she's having a little harmless fun with a hobby that she'll eventually outgrow, and at best, she'll learn and mature with experience and become a better writer. I know that the stuff I wrote when I was 12 or 13 was probably crap by my standards today, but that's all part of the process of learning how to write--I don't think that anybody is a great writer right from the start.
Actually, I have seen a bit more rudeness on FA lately than I had at the time I wrote my original response--people who seem morally offended by bad fic. And from their descriptions, the stories probably were pretty bad, but so what? If it's that bad, why waste your time reading it and berating the author? I only have so much time in my schedule, and personally, I'd rather spend it reading good fic or working on my own stories.
I kind of think that probably everyone starts off going through a Mary Sue phase. I used to love detective stories as a kid, stuff like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, and I'd imagine myself going on adventures with them and solving mysteries alongside them, although I feel a bit sheepish about admitting to that now. ^_^ So I didn't know it at the time, but I was creating a Mary Sue! I outgrew that stage, as most writers do, but some people are content to just write Mary Sues, and if that makes them happy, I think there's enough room in the world for all kinds of fic, from stuff that's as good as published books down to the Mary Sue stories about Harry and that blonde American transfer student. (Although it would probably be wise for the Mary Sue authors to put up the stipulation of "Squee only, please!")
So in conclusion, I seem to have been arguing both sides of the debate! But really, I can see merit in both sides. I think the problem arises when people on whichever side of the battle dig in their heels and say "my way is the only right way". For myself, I'm open to both squees and concrit, and I appreciate any type of feedback other than a flame.
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(And also your icon is very nice eye-candy!)
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And yeah, I never saw the point of criticizing someone for writing a particular ship or an OC. I have occasionally left a review that said something like, "I don't normally care for non-con/infidelity/etc.," but only in conjuction with "...but your story was so good that it overcame my usual squicks and I really loved it."
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